The Chicago Bears will need all the help they can get on Sunday to somehow take down the Green Bay Packers. This has always been true of the defense what with Aaron Rodgers on the opposite sideline. Luckily the football gods sent them a badly-needed boost. Star defensive end Akiem Hicks has worked his way back from a nasty elbow injury suffered against the Oakland Raiders back in October. Some were wondering if he might be able to make the Week 15 deadline to come off Injured Reserve or not.
Thankfully they don’t have to wonder any longer. According to Chris Mortensen of ESPN, the Bears will officially activate Hicks before the 3:00 CST deadline. This all but guarantees that the man will be suited up on Sunday to rejoin his defensive teammates in this pivotal contest. It’s uncertain how physically capable he’ll be but most seem to think his energy and leadership alone will be welcomed by everyone.
Akiem Hicks is so pivotal to everything they do
It’s difficult to understate how much Hicks means to this defense. Not only is he arguably their best run defender. He’s also their second-best pass rusher. The Bears did not allow a 100 yards or more on the ground in any game he started and finished this season. After he went down, it’s happened six times. Then there is Khalil Mack. In games playing with Hicks on the field (3) he has three sacks on the season. The remaining 10 games without him he has just 4.5. Few have missed his presence more than the superstar outside linebacker.
This is crucial because the Packers feature one of the best pass-blocking offensive lines in the NFL. It’s hard to imagine the Bears would’ve been able to harass Rodgers enough times to make him uncomfortable with only Mack providing a consistent presence. Hicks has routinely given them problems in the past, so this will make things more interesting.
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